Reinforced shipping container and method of making same



Jan. 2, 1945. JONES AL 2,366,532

REINFORCED SHIPPING CONTAINER AND METHODOF MAKING SAME Filed April 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l x r CJINVENTOR.

Jan. 2, 1945. c. G. JONES ET AL 2,366,532

REINFORCED SHIPPING CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME I Filed April 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 2, 1945 nnmroncnn SHIPPING CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Charles G. Jones and Walter F. VanDe Venter,

Louisville, Ky., assigncrs to General Box Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 30, 1942, Serial No. 441,058

3 Claims. (01. 217-59) 1This invention ,relates to shipping containers and more particularly to such containers having metal reinforcements at the corner edges, and to the method or making the same.

the typeof shipping containers having their corner edgesfreinforced with angular metal overcome by making theadjacent edges of the ends and sides of interlocking formation and bending that portion of the angle irons that will formed in theend to assist inthe driving ofthe prongs through the end; i

Among the objects ,of our invention are to overcome the objections and successfully accornplish the advantages and improvements referred to above. v 1 l A further object is to provide'a container of greater strength, and one in which the sides and ends are firmly held against being pushed inwardly one with relation to the other.

A still further object is to. provide a novel method of assembling the sides, ends andbottom of-an angle iron reinforced container, in such manner that the sides may be swung against the ends with interlocking fit and without conflict between the prongs of the angle iron and the end, and then securing the angle iron to the end; Q i I Another object is toprovide a novel method in which the sides and bottom are secured together by pronged angle irons to form a mat, the ends secured to the angle-irons, and the sides swung into interlocking engagement with' the ends ends conflcting with the ends during ing and interlocking movement.

the swing-- Aiurther object is to provide anovel container having interlocking sides and ends and angle iron reinforcement at the corner edges.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities will later more fully appear. f i our invention further residesin the combina tion, construction and arrangement Qofyparts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while we have shown therein a preferred embodiment we wish it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of our invention.

In the drawings: 3 Fig. l is a perspective view of a container embodying our invention: a

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section'on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1; i

, Fig.3 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line '3--3' of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through one of the angle irons, on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 5, butomitting the bottom wall member; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a mat comprising' two side wall members and a bottom wall and the mat in flat position;

line 6 6 of Fig.5 but omitting the side wall member; a

Fig. '7 is a. side elevation of one of the end'wall members; v

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one o'f'the side Wall members v M Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a mat in fiat position similar to that shown in Fig.5, but also showing the twoend wall members in position thereon, prior to swinging the side wall members upwardly to engage the'end wall members. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig; 9, but showing the sidewall members partly swung towards closed position.

Fig. 11. is a fragmentary horizontal section through one end of the container prior to bendthe prongs therethrough; a

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end portion of one corner of the container. a a f Referring more in detail to the drawings, the

container of the present invention comprises side without-the prongs" that "will befdriven into the wall members'l and "2, end wall members 3' and 4, bottom wall member 5, and metal angle irons 6 securely fastened along the corner edges of the the section secured to the bottom wall member,

comprises the legs or flanges l and II standing at right angles to each other to form a ninety degree angle, whereas the sections 1 and 9, shown in cross section in Fig. 6 comprise legs or flanges l2 and I3 which form an angle with relation to I each other greater than ninety degrees. In the drawings this angle is shown as approximately 'one' hundred and thirty-five degrees, although such angle may depart somewhat from one hundred and thirty-five degrees without departing from the spirit of our invention. The main requirement is that this angle be sufficiently larger than ninety degrees to permit the sidewalls to be swung upwardly into engagement with the end wall member without the prongs l4 striking against the edge of the end wall member as will later be more fully explained.

The angle ironsv 6, as stated, comprise the sections 1, 8 and 9 which are integrally connected together from end to end throughout the full length of theflanges connected to the two side wall members and the bottom wall member, this integral strip being shown in dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 9. Those flanges of the angle irons, which are secured to the end wall members, however, are-formed withV-shaped notches l5 and, I6, the apex of which falls on the bending line about which the side wall members are swung upwardly with relation to the bottom wall member as will be understood in Fig. 10. The ,angularity of these .V-shaped notches l5 and I6 is such that when the side wall members are brought into final interlocking position with relation to the end Wall members the edges forming the sides of. the notch will substantially touch as shown at, IT in Fig. 1.

As seen in Figs. 4 and 5 the middle flange which connects with the end wall member is indicated at H and as seen in Figs. 5 and 6 each of the other two flangesthat connect with the end wall.

member is indicated at It. As the angle irons at both ends'of the container are alike except for being reversed in position, only one of them need relation to the complemental flanges l2, or, as

explained, such, other obtuse angle as will permit the ends of the prongs [4 to move by or over the outer face of the end wall member as they are swung into assembled position. Referring now to Fig. '7 it will be seen that the end wall members (they are both alike in construction) are provided along both of their vertion the complemental tenon projections of the end wall members and the side wall members will be brought into interlocking engagement. See Figure 10,

The end wall members, as seen in Fig. '7, are,

each formed near their bottom edges with spaced apart indentations or holes 22 of a shape and so spaced as to receive the inwardly projecting prongs 23 of the flange H by positioning the end wall member in proper position-thereover and.

end wall members will preferably have formed along their vertical edge portions at suitably located positions indentations or holes 24 to assist the prongs I4 to enter the wood of the end wall members without being distorted when these prongs are driven into final p'bsition. As will be understood the prongs 25 will be driven through tical edges with a plurality of ,tenon projections provided by a series of projections l8 and recesses is, while as shown in Fig. 8 the two vertical ends of the side wall members (they are both'alike in construction) are provided with vcomplemental tenon projections provided by projections 20 and recesses 2|. When the wall members of the container are in final assembled posithe side wall members and clinched on and into .the inner faces thereof with a suitable machine.

As will be also understood the prongs 26 will be driven through the bottom wall member and clinched on and into the inner face thereof with a suitable machine. Also. the free ends of the flanges I2 and I3 will, by means of a suitable machine, be bent over the upper edges of the corners wall member and after the prongs id have. been driven therethrough and clinched.

In assembling the parts of our improved conwall members .I and 2 and a bottom wall member placed in the angles of the angle irons as will be understood in Fig. 5, it being under .stood that will be done in a suitable machine which will also drive the prongs 25 through the side wall members, and the prongs 2-6 through the bottom wall member, these prongs also being clinched against and into the inner faces of these wall members. Also either previously to, or dur-' ing this operation, the flanges 131 will each be bent outwardly to the obtuse angle previously described. l

This results in the-production of a mat such as shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that the free ends of the flanges [2 will be bent over the outer edges of the side wall members whilethe mat is being formed. The mat is then laid on a table (not shown) and the two end wall members placed in proper position thereon and driven at the bottom edge with a hammer to force the pron-gs 23 through the holes 22, after which operation the mat and end wall members will be as shown in Fig. 9, it being understood that the free ends of the prongs 23 will be clinched over against and into the inner face of the end wall member at any desired time thereafter witha suitable machine.

Next the side wall members will be swung u wardly and inwardly as indicated in Fig; 10. It is important to keep in mind that due to the arrangement of the respective complemental tenon projections I8 and 20 and the angle of the prongs M will move over theouter faces of the end wall memberswithout clashing therewith. After the sidewall members are brought into firm interlocking relationship with the end wall members the angularly outstanding flanges l3 by means of any suitable machine will be bent into. facial contact with the outer face of the end wallmember and the free ends of the prongs l 4 clinched on the inside thereof.

The indentations or holes 24 in the outerfaces of the end wall members will be in. proper position to receive the prongs l4 as the angular outwardl bent flanges |-3 are being bent flat against the end'wall member, thus eliminating any danger that said prongs might become dam-, aged by bending during such operation.

It will thus be understood that we have provided a novel metal reinforced container in which the meeting edges of the end wall members and the sidewall members are interlocked against any possible pushing inward, and the bringing of the interlocking, tenon 1 projections into interengagement as the sidewall members are swung-upwardly against the end wall memi bers is made possible by having the side flanges that engage the endwall members bent outwardly at such an angle that the prongs. will clear the end wall members as the side wallmembers are swung into final position. This insures the positioning of the tenon projection interlock underneath the angle irons having prongs in both flanges throughout. This double locking means, to-wit, the interlockingcorners and the angle 'iron prongs, eliminates any possibility of one of the walls of the container being pushed inwardly without breaking the container.

Having nowdescribed our inventiornwe claim: 1. A mat for making metal reeni'orced containers of the type having side and end wall members in abutted relation with each other, so as to prevent them from being pushed inward-. ly underheavy compact. said mat comprising a bottom wall member and two side wall members i with one side wall member on each side of the bottom wall member, all of said, wallmembers being laid outflat, an angle iron secured to each end of each of said wall members, said angle irons each having two flanges provided with prongs, the flanges at each end of the bottom wall members standing at 90 degrees with relation to each other, one of the last mentioned flanges being positioned to receive an end wall, member, and the flanges at each end of. each of the side wall members standing at an obtuse angle with relation to each other at such degree that when the side wall members and angle irons are swung inwardly. with respect to interposed end wall membersso as to position the container sides against theerid wall members, the obtuse angled prongs will-'fcelar the end wall members 65 the end wall and allow of interenga'gement of members and the side wall members. 2. The method of making metal reenforced;

containers which consists in forming a mat containing a. bottom wall member and two side wall members, with one side wall member on each side of the bottom wall member, and laid out flat,

V 3 each side wall memberhaving tenon. projections on the respective ends thereof, securing an angle iron to each of the respective ends of said side wall and bottom wall members, each angle iron having integral pro-ngs in each of its flanges, and an upstanding flange at each end of each ofthe side wall. members arranged at an obtuse angle with relation to its complemental flange, securing one edge of an end wall member to the, up-

standing flange at each end of the bottom wall member while the side and bottom wall members are in'their flat position, each of the end wall members. having tenon projections along each of its vertical side edges complemental to and engageable with the tenon projections of the side wall members, swingingthe respective side wall members inwardly, so as to bring their tenon projections into interlocking engagement with the tenon projections of the end wall members, and also moving the upstanding obtusely angled flanges of the angle irons over the outer i surfaces of the respective end Wall members during said inward movement of the side wall members, so that said obtuse angled prongs clear the outer facesof the respective ,end wall members, and then bending said obtuse angled flanges against the respective end wall members container with abutted side and end wall members positioned to prevent inward movement of either of them, said container having metal reenforced corners.

3. The method of making metal reenforced containerswhich consists informing a mat contegral prongs in each of its flanges, and an upstanding flange at each end of each of the side wall members, the side Wallmembers being bent to an obtuse angle with relation to its complemental flange, securing one edge of an end wall member to the upstanding flange at each end of the bottom wall member, while the side and bottom wall mem ,bers are in their flat position, each of the end wall members having tenon projections along each of its vertical side edges complemental to and engageable withthe tenon projections of the side wall members, simultaneously swinging. the

side wall members inwardly so as to bring their tenon projections into interlocking engagement with the tenon projectionsof the end wall members, and moving the upstanding obtusely angled flanges of the angle irons over the outer surfaces of the respective end wall inward movement of the side walls, so that said obtuse angled prongs clearthe outer faces of the respective end wall members, and then bending said obtuse angled flanges against the respective end wall ,members and driving'their prongs into the latter, whereby to form a container with abutting side and end wall members positioned to prevent inward movement of either of them, said container having metal-reenforced 0 end edge corners.

CHARLES G. JONES. WALTER F. VAN DE VEN'I'ER.

and driv ing their prongs into the latter so as to form a each of saidupturned flanges on I members during said 

